Economist walks around London

Follow in the footsteps of some of the world's greatest Economists

London has been associated with many important individuals
in the histories of economics and statistics. The story of the city's
roles in the early developments of the disciplines is told in the
accompanying narrative from which it can be seen that a great deal is
known about specific locations for significant individuals. In these
pages we organise some of these locations into a series of walks.
Anyone sufficiently interested, with a desire to stretch their legs
over an hour or so and perhaps familiar with or indifferent to the
usual tourist sites, can take a tour around the former homes,
workplaces and gravesites of intellectual predecessors.

The
first walk is the easiest to
find, starting at the
British Museum. The second in Soho is only fifteen minutes' walk away as is the
third which begins near LSE and continues to Westminster. The others
are slightly further afield though easily accessible by public
transport. The fourth walk, for example, ends at the site of Sunday's
reception in St Paul's.

A warning is in order. The fact that we
know of a location does not mean any part of the house still stands
there so don't be surprised if it doesn't. If the site was occupied
more than 150 years ago the building is probably no longer there. We
can trace, for example, almost the complete history of Ricardo's homes
in London but so far as we know there is not a brick still standing at
any of them (though you can still visit his childhood synagogue).

Not
all sites could, of course, be included. There are locations south of
the river, for example, associated with Ricardo, Marshall and Babbage
but they are simply too spread out to make a coherent walk. If you want
to visit any site listed that doesn't figure in a walk then email and
we can tell you how to find it.